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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183812">I'll Trade you a Myth for a Kiss</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Lizard_Leah/pseuds/Lil_Lizard_Leah'>Lil_Lizard_Leah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Kiss, Fluff, Innocence, Kissing, M/M, Pining, The Kissing Bridge (IT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:13:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183812</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Lizard_Leah/pseuds/Lil_Lizard_Leah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Derry’s kissing bridge was a little slice of romance in an otherwise unromantic town. Derry Maine didn’t exactly inspire one’s heart to soar, but something about that bridge caused a fluttering in the hearts of every person that passed it.</p><p>Richie didn’t believe the myth. He was well past the age where he listened to make believe stories about true love and the promise of forever. Real life didn’t hold such fates, if it did, Richie wouldn’t be a closeted gay kid painfully in love with his straight best friend."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll Trade you a Myth for a Kiss</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Reddie Week 2020 Day 1 prompts: Kissing Bridge/Quarry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Derry’s kissing bridge was a little slice of romance in an otherwise unromantic town. Derry Maine didn’t exactly inspire one’s heart to soar, but something about that bridge caused a fluttering in the hearts of every person that passed it.</p><p>It wasn’t that the bridge was particularly beautiful, in fact it was pretty ugly with its decaying wood frame, rickety beams that split and splintered any hand that touched them, and sun-faded paint job.</p><p>It was the lore attached to the bridge, passed down through the hushed whispers of Derry residents for decades, that lured people into its hold. It was said that if you kissed someone under the bridge, they would be solidified as your soulmate; a metaphorical binding of spirits between two lovers.</p><p>Richie didn’t believe the myth. He was <em>well </em>past the age where he listened to make believe stories about true love and the promise of forever. Real life didn’t hold such fates, if it did, Richie wouldn’t be a closeted gay kid painfully in love with his straight best friend.</p><p>So, be it the fact that there was no actual evidence to the validity of the tall tale, or the fact that that very bridge had been the location at which his dear friend Ben had almost been murdered by Henry Bowers and his goons, Richie just didn’t have that much faith in the bridge’s supposed positive energy.</p><p>Much to Richie’s dismay, however, his cynicism didn’t do much to deter the way his heart rate spiked when he found himself sitting under that very bridge in the company of said best friend.</p><p> </p><p>They hadn’t planned on ending up here. Their day had started out much like any other; they’d met their friends at the quarry, soaked themselves and their undergarments in the deep jade water before laying out in the sun to dry. Music rang from Beverly’s small portable radio as they shared jokes and stories until the sun began to set.</p><p>They’d all gone their separate ways when there’d been no more daylight to suck out of the sun, the presence of fireflies lighting their ways home. Eddie’s bike had been confiscated by Sonia for god knows what number of reasons, so he relied on Richie to be his chauffer for the day.</p><p>And chauffer he did. Richie relished in the tight grip of Eddie’s arms around his torso, the way he’d mutter a ‘slow down trashmouth’ against Richie’s neck when he went too fast, or the little <em>yip</em> that he’d let out when they went over a speed bump, soaring weightlessly through the air for one blissful moment before crashing back down to reality.</p><p>He’d enjoyed chauffeuring right up until the moment he rode over broken glass, popping his tire and sending him and Eddie tumbling to the ground.</p><p>They’d been lucky, veering into grass right before impact, so their injuries were minor. But Eddie still insisted to treat them before they continued home, blabbering on about infections and amputations and- Richie didn’t listen to the rest.</p><p>It hadn’t taken long for Richie to recognize exactly where they were. His bike had decided to commit suicide right next to the infamous kissing bridge, which he’d taken home a thousand times and kissed at exactly <em>zero</em> times.</p><p> </p><p>“Richie.” Eddie repeated, finally garnering the attention of Richie’s quickly waning mind. Eddie waved his small disinfectant pack in the air as if an obvious gesture of irritation.</p><p>“Right, sorry Eds!” Richie scurried over to where Eddie had sat himself down on a fallen tree trunk, a miniature pharmacy set out before them all thanks to his fanny pack.</p><p>“Let me see your legs.” Eddie instructed, already loaded with a disinfectant wipe and a look of determination on his small features. It was far too cute for Richie to handle, and it made his insides churn uncomfortably. As usual he defaulted to humor, hoping it would ease his nerves.</p><p>“That’s what your mom said last night.”</p><p>“Richie! Ugh, gross.” Eddie’s nose scrunched up in disgust and Richie’s plan backfired.</p><p>With a rosy tint to his cheeks that Richie prayed Eddie couldn’t see in the dark, he sat down beside Eddie and presented him with two freshly scraped kneecaps.</p><p>Richie let out a string of curses as Eddie began cleaning the wound, but once the sting of peroxide passed, he noticed how gentle Eddie was being.</p><p>“Batman or Mickey Mouse?”</p><p>Richie looked up from where Eddie’s hand laid gently upon his knee, meeting round chestnut eyes that reflected the moonlight. Richie’s mind went blank.</p><p>“What?” He asked dumbly.</p><p>“Bandaids, do you want Batman or Mickey Mouse?”</p><p>Richie’s heart did about three backflips before he was finally able to answer, stuttering out a weak response that was not up to par with his usual.</p><p>"You know I've always been a Mickey man, myself."</p><p>Eddie quirked his lips, not quite a smile but also not the annoyance Richie was usually met with. He watched as Eddie reached into his fanny pack and pulled out a bandaid, unwrapping it carefully before moving to apply it to Richie's left knee. It barely covered the scrape, but they both knew it was for show more than function. Eddie liked knowing he'd taken care of someone, the bandaid standing out like a gold star sticker on a quiz. He nodded to himself, satisfied, before moving to tend to Richie's other knee.</p><p> </p><p>The process was much the same. It stung when Eddie applied the alcohol, Richie's heart skipped a beat when Eddie got too close, and then there was a distorted Mickey Mouse staring up at the both of them from where it sat over bloodied skin.</p><p>Richie spoke before thinking, his mouth always faster than his brain.</p><p>"What, no kiss, Dr. K?"</p><p>Eddie rolled his eyes, but if Richie wasn't mistaken, he also noted a slight rosiness rising to Eddie's cheeks.</p><p>"We're not five, Richie. I'm not gonna kiss your knee better. Also, ew."</p><p>"Who said I was talking about my knee?"</p><p>They both froze; Richie, horrified by the deception of his own thoughts, and Eddie, shocked by Richie's boldness.</p><p>"I-I-I meant my dick." Richie tried to recover, his tone none too convincing. But bless Eddie, whether truly oblivious or just pretending to be, responded by smacking Richie's chest.</p><p>It caused Richie to tumble backwards off their makeshift bench, falling into foliage that almost entirely ate him up.</p><p>“Oh my god! Richie!” Eddie’s tone shifted into concern, his body moving faster than such a little frame should be able to as he leaned over to offer Richie a hand up. Richie, widely known for acting before he thinks, took the opportunity to pull Eddie down alongside him.</p><p>The sound of breaking tree branches, rustled leaves, and tiny shrieks alerted Richie to the fact that Eddie did not land beside him as planned. In fact, a quick glance around him confirmed that Eddie was nowhere near Richie any longer.</p><p>“EDS!?” Richie’s voice was high pitched and frantic.</p><p>“Down here, asshole.”</p><p>The response, though obviously irate, still brought comfort to his beating heart.</p><p>“One second- shit- I gotta- fuck-”</p><p>Richie was stumbling over himself, squinting his eyes as he tried to see any minute flash of brown hair peeking through the dark.<br/>
<br/>
Richie fumbled around in his pocket, grabbing on to the lanyard that held his keys and, thankfully, a small flashlight. It wasn’t much, but it helped illuminate that area where Eddie’s voice called from.</p><p>Richie felt horrible when he realized they’d been right next to a hill, and his action had flung Eddie right down it. He spotted a small moving figure right at the bottom, underneath the looming darkness of the bridge, and set off towards it.</p><p>Getting down the hill without falling was tricky, but Richie somehow managed it. When he came upon Eddie, the smaller boy was attempting to dust the dirt off from his body. Richie decided not to note how fruitless his effort was, instead allowing Eddie to believe he had some control over the germs he’d been unceremoniously thrown into.</p><p>“Sorry about that, Eddie. You’re just so tiny, you weigh next to nothing.” Richie tried to pass off his comment as a joke, hoping it would lead them back into their usual back-and-forth. He’d never actually admit that he loved how tiny Eddie was compared to him, because that would mean admitting a whole slew of other things that he wasn’t ready to face.</p><p>“Not everyone can be Andre the giant, you ever-growing fuck. It’s not my fault my body doesn’t want to become a skyscraper.” Eddie countered.</p><p>Richie straightened his back, beginning to feign confusion as he aimed the flashlight above Eddie’s head.</p><p>“Eddie? Eddie???” Richie pretended to search for him, looking left and right but always above the line of sight where Eddie sat.</p><p>“You’re obnoxious.” Eddie stated.</p><p>“Eddie? Is that you? Where are ya boy-” Richie’s joke was cut short when Eddie swatted the flashlight out of his hand. It hit the ground with a wet splat, landing in a pile of mud just on the edge of the water.</p><p>Richie laughed heartily. He leaned down to pick it up when his gaze followed the stream of light to where it pointed right at an etching in the wooden beam that held the bridge above their heads.</p><p>Richie walked closer to it, crouching next to the engraving and tracing it with his finger. In the middle of a heart were two initials: G + H.</p><p>“How much you wanna bet that one’s Greta and Henry?”</p><p>“A thousand bucks.” Richie huffed, rolling his eyes at the thought of them carving this into the bridge after sharing a cigarette musky lip-lock.</p><p>“Good, they deserve each other. They can rot together for eternity. Thank you, magic bridge.” Eddie tapped the pillar gently, as if patting someone’s shoulder.</p><p>“Come on, you believe in this crap?” Richie stretched back up to full height.</p><p>Eddie seemed to mull the question over in his head before answering.</p><p>“I mean… what’s the harm in entertaining the idea?” Eddie’s voice had a bashful tone to it that Richie had never heard before. It made his skin prickle with warmth.</p><p>“I just never took you for the romantic type, Eds.” Richie tried to soften his voice, encouraged it to come out a little less like a tease and a little more like a confession. It seemed to have the desired effect when Richie pointed the light at Eddie and noticed a blush on his cheeks.</p><p>“Have you kissed anyone down here?” Eddie asked suddenly, the boldness shocking Richie into silence (which was rare).</p><p>Richie instinctively puffed his chest out, a bravado thick on his lips and ready to be spoken, but it deflated as quickly as it was triggered. Eddie was being vulnerable with Richie in a way that he never was, and if Richie messed this up, he might as well be damning himself to a future where Eddie didn’t trust him with moments like this. There was no greater fear than that.</p><p>“No.” Richie answered honestly, kicking a nearby rock into the water.</p><p>“Have you kissed <em>anyone</em>?” Eddie’s voice was barely above a whisper, almost inaudible over the sound of the crickets and the trickle of the stream.</p><p>Richie’s heart lurched in his chest so strongly it almost made him lose his balance. His eyes bugged out behind his coke bottle frames, trying to make sense of why Eddie was asking these questions. With a thick swallow, he answered.</p><p>“Yeah, only twice.” He knew he’d boasted about much more, that if the losers had been keeping tally, Richie’s supposed trysts were up in the double digits by now. But he didn’t feel like lying or keeping up some kind of charade. Not here, not alone with Eddie. “Once in 7<sup>th</sup> grade with Trisha Saunders, and then at the beginning of 8<sup>th</sup> grade with Megan DeLaurence.”</p><p>Eddie nodded sagely, looking down at his feet.</p><p>“I haven’t kissed anyone yet. I think I might be the last of the Losers who hasn’t.”</p><p>The way Eddie’s shoulders slumped made Richie want to reach forward and hold him up. His fingers twitched at the effort it took to hold himself back.</p><p>“It’s not a competition, Eddie. No one’s judging you.” Richie said earnestly, taking a step towards Eddie’s frame. Was he shivering? It had gotten kind of cold in the time they’d been standing down here. Richie hadn’t even noticed the nip of September beginning to creep in, he’d been warmed from the flush of being so close to Eddie; something he realized he’d gotten accustom to any time Eddie was around.</p><p>“Eds.” Richie sighed, beginning to unbutton the long-sleeved printed shirt he wore over his t-shirt. Once he shrugged it off, he took another step towards Eddie and draped the garment across his shoulders, making sure not to focus on how it dwarfed Eddie’s already miniscule frame.</p><p>Richie had abandoned his tiny flashlight, allowing it to dangle from a droopy hand and angle light out into the water. The darkness sheathed them from reading one another’s expressions, giving Richie the false confidence, it took for him to lean in and press his lips against Eddie’s.</p><p>The kiss wasn’t long, nor was it filled with passion. It was probably closer to the type of kiss you give your aunt at Christmas, just a chaste peck on the lips. But despite the nature of the kiss, it still left Richie buzzing from head to toe in a way that no other kiss had done before.</p><p>Sure, kissing Trisha and Megan had been fine. Richie had chalked it up to experience, telling himself that the reason he hadn’t felt anything was because he wasn’t used to it yet. But with Eddie it was a whole different world. Such a small touch had made him lightheaded, left him itching to go in for more and not stop until his lungs gave out.</p><p>Richie realized then that the silence had stretched out between them, Eddie obviously confused and, Richie realized with a pang in his heart, probably horrified.</p><p>“T-there.” Richie tripped over his words, cursing his nerves for mistaking him for Bill. He cleared his throat and tried again. “There. Now you’ve kissed someone.”</p><p>Eddie still didn’t respond, and Richie’s heartrate began to tick up into something erratic.</p><p>After a pause that probably aged Richie ten years, Eddie finally let out a laugh. A small titter that dissolved all the anxiety Richie was harboring.</p><p>“You dumbass.” Eddie giggled. “Now we’re stuck together forever!”</p><p>Richie couldn’t hold back the grin that stretched his cheeks so wide they burned. If believing that him and Eddie were now solidified as soulmates meant also believing in some invisible universal force carried on for decades by a fucking <em>bridge</em>, then so be it. He’d believe in every fairytale ever told if it meant being with Eddie.</p><p>Richie scratched the back of his neck, a nervous twitch he’d had since childhood. He only hoped that Eddie couldn’t see it.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess I kinda screwed the pooch on that one huh.”</p><p>“I mean, there’s worse people to be stuck with for life.” Eddie countered.</p><p>“Well I am honored I’m not <em>the</em> worst.”</p><p>“That honor is gonna have to go to Henry.”</p><p>“Well, we don’t have to worry about him because he’s already promised to Greta for eternity. We’re clear.”</p><p>“Good. He can have Greta as long as I can have you.”</p><p>Richie’s brain stopped functioning, all reasonable responses escaping his mind. <em>‘As long as I can have you’</em>. Richie would be repeating that to himself as a lullaby from now until forever.</p><p>“You can have me.” Richie responded on a shaky exhale.</p><p>Eddie’s breathing sounded just as unsteady as it filled the space between them. With nervous hands, Richie brought the flashlight back up to illuminate Eddie’s face. He was quivering, although Richie wasn’t certain whether it was still from the cold, or from the same feeling that had caused Richie’s limbs to feel like rubber.</p><p>“We gotta get you home before you become an Edsicle.” Richie teased, breaking the tension between them and leading them back into safe territory. Eddie rolled his eyes, but traces of laughter were evident in his small smile. He shouldered Richie out of the way gently, passing him and making his way back over to the hill that he’d fallen down.</p><p>“Well, you better help me back up this hill then.” He demanded.</p><p>Richie bounded over to him with newfound glee in his heart, vowing to never take the prospect of magic bridges for granted ever again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this for ReddieWeek 2020, only to realize that I am not mentally well enough to write seven fics in such a short span of time, so you only get day one unless I decide to somehow pull a miracle out of my ass. Enjoy some wholesome content!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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